when his number was called, yancey moved up to desk number 3.
the young woman at the desk looked like lucy loo, the heroine of the history show he had watched the night before.
she got right down to business, without looking directly at yancey.
“how can i help you today?” she asked as she looked at his information on a small terminal.
yancey explained his situation, and that he would be making the rent payments.
“you can make the payments? do you understand the penalties if you can not?”
“i think so.”
“you think so?” the young woman looked up from the terminal at yancey. “how old are you?”
“fifteen.”
“fifteen! do you have a full time job? are you in school?”
“i am going to quit school. i am pretty sure i have a full time job, so i should be able to pay the rent.”
“pretty sure? should be able?” the woman, whom yancey thought of as lucy loo, raised her eyebrows.
yancey was a little annoyed that she seemed to be treating him as a child - she didn’t look that much older than him! - but he answered in a level voice -
“i work at a restaurant. the manager has already asked me if i could work full time, so there shouldn’t be any problem. i will ask her tonight.”
“and you think you can make the rent on what you make?”
“i think so.”
“ do you want to call the manager now? make sure about it?”
“um - it is kind of early. i don’t want to wake her up. i would rather wait and talk to her tonight.”
lucy loo thought for a few seconds. “i tell you what. i can put a twenty-four hold on this, why don’t you come back tomorrow when you know for sure and i can finalize it? you can get in a real fix, young man, if you commit to the rent but can’t pay it.”
“all right.” yancey was actually hoping to find another place, and not have to pay what yolanda had been paying. he had not realized he would be given so much grief.
“here - here is a pass you can use when you come back tomorrow. give it to the guard and you will be next up with me when you get here. you got that?’
“yes.”
“i will make the pass for thirty-six hours, just to be safe, and because i am here to serve.” she turned back to her little screen, “now this person who was paying - yolanda chase? she was your mom?”
“yes.”
“you say you are sure she is gone?”
“yeah. she took all her clothes.” yancey started to add “and money” but did not. “she was always talking about leaving.”
“so you must have notified the police?’
“no. not yet.”
“no!”
“i wasn’t sure i had to.”
lucy loo laughed. “well, you don’t have to, bro, but it is a damned good idea. what if this yolanda person - your mom - turns out to be a counter-revolutionary, hey? - what then? trust me, you will be in for it then, big time.”
“naw, she wasn’t into politics,” yancey mumbled. “not at all.”
“you mean she never said she was - those are the ones you have to look out for!”
“if you say so.”
“i can make you an appointment with the police right now. you know where the station is, right? just down the street.”
“i know where it is. i have never been inside.”
“i am happy to hear that. so do you want me to make you an appointment? i can do it right here, right now.”
“you might as well. i don’t have to be at work until four o’clock.”
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